Defence Affairs Archives - Page 2 of 162

17 Oct

Iran’s IRGC says supertanker exploded after hitting mine in Hormuz Strait

Tehran, Oct 17 (IANS) The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that a "violating" supertanker that sought to cross the Strait of Hormuz through an "unauthorised" route within the preceding hours suffered a "huge" explosion after hitting a naval mine. The explosion resulted in a "massive" fire on the oil tanker, which had turned off its GPS and radar systems, the navy said in a statement published by the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News. Carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil, the vessel sought "unauthorised" passage through the strait with the US.…

17 Oct

Afghan envoy accuses Pakistan of being ‘sole threat’ to regional security

Kabul, Oct 17 (IANS) Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Gul Hassan Hassan, has described Pakistan as the "only threat" to Afghanistan’s security and the wider region. Addressing a joint security conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Moscow, Hassan accused Islamabad of providing shelter to multiple terrorist groups, including ISIS (Daesh), Afghan media outlet Tolo News reported. He further alleged that the groups were active inside Pakistan and that attempts had been made to move them into Afghanistan. "We must state clearly that the threat to the…

17 Oct

Jaish crisis deepens as Azhar retreats and mystery killings mount

New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) Trouble is brewing within Jaish-e-Mohammed, which has struggled to regroup in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor and has since been hit by a series of crises. While its ground cadres have been readied for operations and are waiting at launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the outfit is grappling with complete disarray at the top and second-rung levels of its leadership. An Intelligence Bureau official said Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had established complete control over Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and was directing the activities of both outfits as well as Hizbul Mujahideen. The ISI has…

15 Oct

North Korea fires strategic cruise missiles, possibly from nuclear attack submarine: Report

Seoul, Oct 15 (IANS) North Korea said Thursday it test-fired two types of strategic cruise missile in the East Sea the previous day, in what may be the first launch from a 3,000-ton-class submarine it unveiled in 2023. "The test-fire aimed to examine the current mobilised posture of the underwater combat systems and contributed to getting the Navy skilled in performing its strategic missions and showcasing high reliability, trustworthiness and ability of the war deterrents of the DPRK," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The…

15 Oct

India and Greece review defence cooperation, explore new initiatives

Athens, Oct 15 (IANS) India and Greece held the second Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation on Thursday where both sides reviewed ongoing defence cooperation and explored new initiatives in capacity building, training, regional security, defence industry and maritime cooperation. Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), Ministry of Defence, Amit Telang and Ambassador Michel Spinellis co-chaired the meeting held at the Hellenic Army Academy in Athens. "The 2nd India-Greece Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation was held at the Hellenic Army Academy on 15 October 2026, co-chaired by Ambassador a.h. Michel Spinellis and Joint Secretary (IC) Dr Amit Telang," Ministry…

14 Oct

US lawmakers demand answers on Iran strikes

Washington, Oct 13 (IANS) A group of Democratic lawmakers has demanded that the Pentagon explain whether American forces were responsible for a deadly strike on a wedding gathering in Iran. Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona and Sara Jacobs of California sought detailed answers from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth about the September 1 attack in Kuhestak, southern Iran, which reportedly killed five civilians, including two children, and injured dozens. In a letter made public by Crow's office on Tuesday, the lawmakers questioned the military's targeting decisions, the status of investigations and the steps taken to protect civilians…

14 Oct

Vance announces Defense Production Act expansion of Texas refinery

Washington, Oct 14 (IANS) US Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration had used the Defense Production Act to expand an oil refinery in Tyler, Texas, as he campaigned for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton three weeks before the midterm elections. "Today, I am pleased to announce that the Trump administration working with the refinery at Delek has used the Defense Production Act, and we are going to expand the refinery right here in Tyler, Texas," Vance told the rally. "We want millions of gallons of commercial grade and military spec fuel to come out of this refinery in…

07 Oct

Trump launches $6.6 billion US shipyard project

Washington, Oct 7 (IANS) US President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a $6.6 billion public-private investment to develop what the administration says will be the largest new shipyard built in the United States since World War II, expanding production of nuclear submarine components and autonomous underwater vessels. The new facility, called Arsenal-2, will be developed at Sparrows Point, Maryland, on a site with a long history of American industrial production. Anduril Industries will invest $3.7 billion to build and operate the facility, while the US Navy is contributing up to $2.9 billion under an agreement tied to…

07 Oct

India, Italy discuss measures to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation

New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) India and Italy on Wednesday condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and discussed measures to further strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation. The discussions were held during a meeting between Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Sibi George, and the Director for G7-G20, Transnational Threats and Integrated Strategy, Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Paolo Mari. Sharing the details regarding the meeting, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X, "Secretary (West) Sibi George received Mr. Paolo Mari, Director for G7-G20, Transnational Threats and Integrated Strategy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International…

06 Oct

India, Sweden focus on innovation in defence and operationalising strategic partnership

New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) India and Sweden discussed innovation in defence and operationalising the Strategic Partnership at the 11th India–Sweden Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by the Joint Secretary, Planning and Coordination, Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence, Meera Mohanty, from the Indian side and Brigadier General Dennis Hedstrom, Ministry of Defence, from the Swedish side. “The 11th India–Sweden Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting concluded successfully in New Delhi, co-chaired by the Joint Secretary (P and C), DDP, MoD, Ms Meera Mohanty, from the Indian side and Brig General Dennis…